Volvo World Match Play Championship: Graeme McDowell to take on Thongchai Jaidee in final

Graeme McDowell will play Thongchai Jaidee in the final of the Volvo World Match Play at Thracian Cliffs.

Last Updated: 19/05/13 4:00pm

Graeme McDowell: Northern Irishman has chance to go one better than last year

McDowell, runner-up in 2012 to Ryder Cup team-mate Nicolas Colsaerts, was eight under par for the 16 holes at Thracian Cliffs in Bulgaria and will face Thongchai Jaidee for the title on Sunday afternoon.

Jaidee, a former Thai paratrooper, saw off Grace's fellow South African Thomas Aiken by the same scoreline in his last-four match.

McDowell got off to a blistering start, pitching to two feet for a birdie at the first and holing from 18ft for another on the third.

After conceding Grace's short birdie putt on the fourth, the Northern Irishman then holed from 20ft to halve the hole and moved three up with another birdie on the next.

Grace reduced the deficit by winning the sixth and was just one down when he birdied the 11th, but McDowell birdied four of the next five to seal victory.

Jaidee, who had beaten Aiken in the group stages, was four up after seven and three birdies in the next four holes from the Avantha Masters winner were only enough to claw back one hole.

A bogey on the 12th from Jaidee threatened to open the door to his opponent, but a birdie on the next restored a three-hole cushion that ultimately proved decisive.